Democrat Angie Craig pulled off a victory Tuesday over Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis.
Craig defeated the freshman congressman in the Second Congressional District after losing to him two years ago. The district, which includes southeastern Twin Cities suburbs and areas to the south, is one of a handful of races targeted by both parties in the intense battle for control of the House.
"I'm feeling good," Craig told a crowd of supporters at the Lone Oak Grill in Eagan, shortly before the race was called. "I think there's something happening here in this congressional district tonight."
Craig's victory, coupled with a win by Democrat Dean Phillips in the neighboring congressional district, showed Democrats gaining ground in the Twin Cities suburbs.
Lewis touted his votes for the GOP tax cuts and to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and bipartisan efforts to reform the juvenile justice system. He criticized Craig, a former health care executive, as beholden to corporate interests. Craig argued the tax cuts disproportionately benefit corporations and the wealthy, and lambasted Lewis' votes to repeal the ACA as efforts to strip protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Margo Thomas, a 47-year-old bank teller from Apple Valley, said she voted for Craig because she wants a change. Health care was a key issue for her. Rachel Clubb, a 33-year-old Eagan saleswoman, said she backed Craig because they shared a lot of the same values and "I like that she's right in the middle."